Damayanti Sen to probe Madhyamgram rape case

The Calcutta High Court Monday handed over the investigation and related police diary in the Madhyamgram rape and murder case to DIG, CID, Damayanti Sen and directed her to complete the investigation by February 7.

Justice Dipankar Dutta also allowed Sen to select her own team so as to ensure a free and fair trial and said it would monitor the investigation at every stage.
The state government, in an apparent bid to avoid a CBI investigation in the case, had Friday proposed the name of Sen for the investigation. The High Court, too, had expressed its desire to appoint Sen as special officer in the case.
Significantly, Sen, who is Kolkata detective department’s first woman head, had cracked the sensational 2012 Park Street gangrape case, which was dismissed by CM Mamata Banerjee as being fabricated.
Soon after, Sen was unceremoniously transferred as DIG (training) at the Police Training College, Barrackpore.
Government pleader Ashoke Banerjee Monday told the High Court that the Chief Minister had given the nod to hand over the probe to Sen. “Sen has not been appointed a special officer of HC. She would investigate the case as an investigative officer,” he said.
The victim’s father had filed a petition before the HC seeking a CBI probe.
The 16-year-old was gangraped October 26 last year near her residence at Madhyamgram in Barasat Police Station area of South 24-Parganas, and again when she was returning home after lodging a police complaint.
She died in hospital last week due to burn injuries that she sustained when she was set ablaze allegedly by the associates of the rape accused.
While trial in the first rape case has started in Barasat court, the police have filed the charge-sheet in court in the second rape case. Meanwhile, probe is underway in the case of setting the girl on fire.
Ashoke Banerjee said Sen would investigate the case from the present status. Depending on new developments in the case, the court would decide on the chargesheets already filed in the criminal court, Banerjee said.
Meanwhile, the girl’s father Sunday left for Bihar where he has been offered a police driver’s job by the Nitish Kumar government.